Planter Project

Location: Elephant & Castle, London

Services: Graphic Design

Status: Production

Sector: Community

People: Jackie Williams (Artist) | Multi Plex | Blackfrairs Settlement | Surrey Square Primary School | Crampton Primary School | Draper Community Hall | Crampton Primary School, | The Big Lunch

Example of how the planters may look with the community artwork applied.

Creating a cultural mosaic for the community

The existing planters on the Elephant and Castle roundabout currently serve little purpose. We aim to repair, reposition, and refresh the 13 timber planters as a temporary enhancement to the Elephant and Castle peninsula. To celebrate the area's rich cultural diversity, we propose decorating the planters with artwork from the local community. Using the theme "Cultural Mosaic," we will incorporate submissions to create vibrant art pieces. These will be scanned and woven together to form a tapestry along the side of the planters. A QR code plaque will be placed on each planter, linking passersby to a digital collection showcasing all the artwork created by the community for the project.

Workshops took place in different locations locally

The outreach to the community members has been the most rewarding part of this project so far. Through our "Cultural Mosaic" scheme, we invited local participants to create artwork using one of the following techniques:

1. Abstract – Use different materials and fabrics to create patterns and colors that represent your culture.

2. Portraits – Draw yourself or your favorite person, whether a family member or friend.

3. Objects – Illustrate one or more everyday objects, using bold, block colors to bring your art to life.

We were thrilled with the outcome of over 300 pieces and are so pleased that the participants not only had fun but also learned new skills and experimented with different creative approaches.

Examples of the artwork created by one of the community groups